Blog - Spencer Education

Sep 23 2026

Why Constraints Make Us More Creative

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Routine Creativity No Comments

We often assume that creativity requires freedom. Remove the rules, open up the possibilities, and let students run with their ideas. But sometimes the opposite is true. The right constraints can give us a starting point, push us beyond the obvious, and lead to possibilities…

Sep 15 2026

5 Myths About Creativity

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Routine Creativity No Comments

Sometimes our biggest creative failures reveal what we actually believe about creativity. In fifth grade, a disastrous California Mission project forced me to rethink what it meant to be “creative.” Years later, I can see how many of my assumptions were actually common cultural myths:…

Sep 09 2026

The Power of Routine Creativity

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 2 Comments

We often picture creativity as something big and bold. It’s the ambitious project that draws in the entire community. It's the big project that kids remember years later. But creativity doesn’t have to be an event. In fact, some of the most powerful creative thinking…

Sep 02 2026

Five Reasons Students Should Own the Assessment Process

By John Spencer Creativity, Empowering Students, Mindsets 2 Comments

For years, I held a very teacher-centered view of assessment. I would grade student work and use that to modify lessons and pull small groups. Students would receive a grade, which would then motivate them to work harder. Later, I started realizing that my feedback…

Aug 20 2026

Why Confident Humility is a Critical Skill in a Generative Age

By John Spencer Creativity, Depth Advantage One Comment

We often assume that confidence comes with competence. But sometimes we are overconfident in what we know and, at other times, we underestimate what we can actually do. In a world of rapid change and increasingly sycophantic AI, students will need to recognize the limits…

Jul 29 2026

Beyond Screen Time: The Low Tech Learning Matrix

By John Spencer Low Tech Learning, Podcast No Comments

For years, the conversation around educational technology centered on one question: How can we get more technology into classrooms? Today, we're facing a different challenge. It's time to move beyond debates about screen time and start thinking more intentionally about when technology leads to deeper…

Jul 14 2026

The Power of Low-Tech Games and Simulations in the Classroom

By John Spencer Low Tech Learning, Podcast One Comment

When people hear the term game-based learning, they often picture students staring at computer screens while navigating elaborate virtual worlds. Or perhaps a lone student staring into a VR headset in isolation. Those experiences certainly have their place (at times). However, some of the most…

Jul 07 2026

The Best Makerspace Might Be Outside

By John Spencer Low Tech Learning, Podcast 4 Comments

We want students to be makers and designers. But there's a surprising source of inspiration for design: the natural world. As we think about moving toward a low-tech approach, we need something better than desks in rows with students doing worksheets. Listen to the Podcast…

Jul 01 2026

Beyond Screen Time: What LAUSD’s New Policy Gets Right and Wrong

By John Spencer Low Tech Learning, Podcast, Technology and Media Literacy No Comments

The Los Angeles Unified School District has adopted one of the nation's most restrictive classroom screen time policies. It will dramatically limit technology use across grade levels. Much of the reporting has focused on "banning devices," but as I examined the actual policy, I noticed…

Jun 24 2026

When Personalized Learning Works Better Than Adaptive Learning

By John Spencer Artificial Intelligence, Low Tech Learning, Podcast, Technology and Media Literacy No Comments

Personalized learning has become one of the biggest promises in educational technology, with adaptive learning platforms and AI tutors claiming to tailor instruction to every student. But genuine personalization has to begin with the person. We lose something wen we center it on the algorithm…